Spring structure.



W. SHANNON. SPRING STRUCTURE, APPHCATION men 05014. I915.

Patented Sept. v11, 1917.

woonronn SHANNON, or LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

SPRING STRUCTURE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. ill, 191i 3' Application filed December 14, 1915. Serial No. 66,688.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ooDroRo SHANNON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring Structures, of which the following is a specification. h

This invention relates to spring bed bottoms of the type in which longitudinal sup ports or side rails with transverse supports or slats, extending between. them and spaced by intermediate longitudinal members or braces, are combined to make a frame upon which is mounted an area of vertically disposed coiled springs secured to the slats of the frame by their lower coils and tied together at or near their upper coils by binding elements which space the springs apart. The invention has for its objects to improve the construction of such a spring structure in each of its main parts, to wit,the longitudinal supporting members or side rails of the frame; the connections between the bracing members and the slats; the mounting of the springs upon the slats and the binding elements for spacing the upper portions of the springs apart.

Accordingly, one feature of the invention consists in mounting the side rails of the frame for shifting from one supporting position to another, as by swinging bodily through an angle of, say 90", and having the side rails formed to receive one type of bed rail, for example, that of an iron bedstead, corresponding thereto 1n dlstanoe apart, when the rails of the frame are in one position, and adapted to receive another type of bed rail, similarly, for instance, the rails of a wooden bedstead having a slat ledge, when the rails of the frame are in their other position; and another feature, subordinate to the foregoing, consists 1n uniting the transverse members of the sprlng frame to said longitudinal rails, by means of hinging connections, preferably comprising ears connected through pintles with the slats, and through integral rlveting ends with the side rails of the frame.

Another feature consists'in mounting the bracing members on the slats, through means of deflected or downwardly offset crimps shaped to receive and conform to three faces of the slat, and having tongues struck up from the braces in position to be pressed down upon the fourth face of the slat to hold the crimp in embracing relation thereto. Another feature consists in mounting each spring with its lower coil resting upon a slat and encircling the crimp adjacent thereto, and holding the spring in such relation by other tongues struck up from the brace, on either side of the crimp, and embracing the lower coil at opposite ends of a diameter which is at right angles to that by which the coil seats upon the slat; these coil-embracing tongues, incidentally, enabling the coil to resist spreading of the crimp which would release the slat.

Another feature consists in tying the upper ends of the springs together in pairs,

through means of substantially U-shaped binding elements which space the springs in one direction by the parallel sides of the binders, and in the other direction by their closed ends. And a feature subordinate thereto consists in interlocking the closed end of each binding element with adjacent points on a pair of springs, by introducing the free ends of the neXt ensuing binder, beneath crimps in the binder and over the coil of the spring, this introduction taking place while the binder is perpendicular to the spring area, andthe introduced ends being provided with deflected portions which engage the intersected parts when the binder is turned down to the horizontal position with its own closed end in relation to the next pair of springs to receive the next interlocking ends of a binder.

The invention will be fullyunderstood upon reference to the detailed description of an illustrative embodiment of its several features as disclosed in the accompanying drawing. In said drawing Figure 1 is a plan view of a bed spring with intermediate portions cut out both longitudinally and transversely, but showing four springs in substantially the relation which they would assume in practice, to other springs longitudinally and transversely spaced therefrom.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.

Fig.' 3 is a. detail view illustrating the assembly of a brace with the slats.

Fig. 4: is a similar view illustrating the assembly of the binding elements with the upper coils of the springs.

Fig. 5 illustrates the assembly of a hinging tab or ear with a side rail, and

. crimp of the: brace.

Fig. 6 is a detail view of the hinging tab or car separated.

1 represents the longitudinal supporting members or side rails, 2 the transverse supporting members or slats, and 3 the braces of the supporting frame. The side rails 1 are preferably made of structural metal L- shape in cross section and having riveted to them, as shown at 1, hinging tabs or cars 5 in position to support the slats 3. Slats 3 are connected with hinging members 5 through means of pintles 6, thereby "adapting side rails 1 to assume the position shown in Fig. 1, or by full lines in Fig. 2,

in which they are adapted to receive and rest upon the side rails of an iron bedstead, or to assume the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, when they will be adapted to rest upon and hold the spring surface at tions of L-bar riveted to the rails as shown.

To sustain the side rails in the dotted line position under the load imposed in the use of the structure, any suitable form of latch 8 may be employed. The form of latch illustrated is pivoted at 9, adapted to engage the side rail by its beak 10, and provided with flexible arm 11 adapted to catch beneath the slat.

Braces 3 are assembled with the slats 2 through means of downwardly offset crimps 12 conforming to the bottom and two vertical sides of the slat, and provided at top with tongues 13 closed down over the top edge of the slat, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Braces 3 are corrugated or ribbed intermediately of their crimps to stiffen them and adapt them to serve as compression members or struts between the slats, while to secure them in the direction of tension, and prevent opening their crimps, they are tied together by the lower coils of the springs 14 as will now be described.

In mounting the springs upon the frame, each spring bears with a diameter of its lower coil 14? adjacent its down-turned end i 14:. resting above a slat and with its intersecting diameter coinciding with spring-attaching tongues 15, the coil of the spring encircling said tongues 15 as well as the Tongues 15 are then bent outwardly over the coil of the spring, and the spring is securely locked in position.

. In practice, the plane of the brace is sufficiently below the upper plane of the slat,

to leave the lower coil under flexing strain and thus hold the parts against vibration.

To position the upper ends of the springs,

rim 16, the adjacent springs are firmly bound by any known type of clip 17. Within the marginal rim, the springs are firmly tied together in spaced relation by the novel form of tying element 18. This comprises a substantially U-shaped member having a closed end 19 adapted to lie on one side of (preferably beneath) the plane of the upper coils 14 of two adjacent'springs near their opposed points and provided with crimps 20, shown more plainly in Fig. 4, by which they are adapted to intersect the plane of said coils; and said tying members are also provided with free interlocking ends 21 extending transversely so as to adapt them to coils lt and then downwardly to engage said top coil and prevent unlocking of said ends. The interlocking ends are readily introduced while the tying member stands perpendicularly to the spring surface as the down-turned ends are then in the plane of the top coils. After thus introducing the ends, it is merely necessary to swing the tying member downward and introduce its closed end with previously formed crimps beneath the next pair of top coils when it will be ready to receive the interlocking ends of the next tying member. This method of assembly is followed until the row of springs is completed. The end-tying members will, of course, be united to the transverse bars of the marginal rim 16 in substantially the manner shown.

In addition to the described relations between the tying members and the springs which their closed ends unite in pairs, certain of the springs may have the free ends of their top coils deflected as shown at 14 and engaging the closed ends of the tying 7 enter beneath the crimp 20 and over the top members in a direction to resist unwinding of the springs. This is desirable for those springs which are not in such position as to bring their said free ends within reach of the marginal rim member or other part adapted. to resist unwinding.

I claim 1. In a spring structure, vertically presented coil springs and tying members for said springs, of substantially U-shape, each having an open end and a closed end; said.

adapted to interlock the next adjacent tying member with another pair of springs.

3. In a spring structure, the combination of a series of springs, and a series of tying members adapted to unite said springs in pairs, transversely, and to space the pairs of springs longitudinally; each tying member having a closed end adapted to underlie coils of the springs to be united transversely, and constructed with crimps intersecting the planes of said coils; said tying members also having free interlocking ends extending to an adjacent pair of springs and projecting beneath the crimps of the tying member associated therewith and over the coils thereof and thereby interlocking the adjacent pair of springs with its said tying member.

In a spring structure, the combination of springs arranged in rows, a series of tying members uniting in pairs, corresponding springs of two adjacent rows; each tying member having a closed end by which it spaces a pair of springs, adapted to underlie coils of the springs to be spaced and having crimps intersecting the planes of said coils, and free ends by which it interlocks with two adjacent springs, the closed end of the tying member associated therewith; said free ends extending transversely beneath the crimps of said last-named tying member and over the coils associated therewith, and thence downwardly to engage said coils and prevent unlocking of said free ends.

5. In a spring structure, the combination of springs arranged in rows, a series of tying members uniting in pairs corresponding springs of two adjacent rows; each tying member having a closed end by which it spaces a pair of springs, adapted to underlie coils of the springs to be spaced and having crimps intersecting the planes of said coils, and free ends by which it interlocks with two adjacent springs, the closed end of the tying member associated therewith; the closed ends of the tying members also en gaging coils of the springs in a direction to resist unwinding of the springs.

The foregoing specification signed at lVashington, District of Columbia, this thirteenth day of December, 1915.

l/VOODFORD SHANNON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. O.

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